Missing Montana Teen Update: Police Find Body Of 16-Year-Old Girl Missing Since New Year's

After weeks of searching, the body of a missing Native American teenaged girl was found Monday at a rest stop in southeastern Montana. Authorities say that foul play is not suspected.

Selena Shelley Faye Not Afraid, 16, was found at about 10:30 a.m. during a “systematic grid search” of Montana’s Interstate 90 near Billings and Hardin, a mile from where she was last seen. The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office shared the news in an email statement.

“It is with great sadness I announce that we have to report the body of Selena Faye Not Afraid has been found by searchers,” Big Horn County Sheriff Lawrence C. Big Hair said in the statement. “We want to thank all the agencies and civilians that helped in searching for Selena, we also are thankful for the many people that donated food and water for the searchers and the family.”

The search for Selena had stretched to police agencies in South Dakota and Wyoming since her disappearance on New Year's Day at 2 p.m. The FBI also assisted in the efforts.

Selena’s aunt, Cherly Horn, took to Facebook to thank everyone who helped and supported their family during the search.

Selena was last reportedly seen on New Year’s Day after leaving a party in Billings. She was reportedly driving back to Hardin in a van with five adults — two men and three women — when their van broke down by the rest stop. Selena got out of the van with another woman, who was reportedly left at the rest area after the van’s driver got it working and left.

A relative arrived shortly after to pick the two up, but Selena was not there. She reportedly walked into a nearby field and was said to not be dressed for the weather.

A cause of death has not been identified. An autopsy has been scheduled for later in the week.

“Please keep Jackie, Leroy and their extended family members in your thoughts and give them the time and space to grieve and come to grips with this terrible loss,” Big Hair said.

Selena was a member of Crow Nation and lived on the Crow Reservation.

The Associated Press in September reported that "Native Americans and Alaska Natives made up 1.8 percent of ongoing missing cases in the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database, even though they represent 0.8 percent of the U.S. population."